Bottle-closure.



PATENTED JUNE l2, 1906.

L. LAWTON.

BOTTLE GLOSURE.

APPLIUATION FILED MM2?, 1905.

WITNESSES:

lll-i UNITED sTAgEs PATENT oEErcE.

LEONARD LAWTON, OF CARROLLTON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OFONE- FOURTH TO FRANK A. CABLES, OF CARROLLTON, NEW YORK.

BOTTLE-CLOSURE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 12, 1906.

To a/ZZ whom/ it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEONARD LAwToN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Carrollton, in the county of Cattaraugus and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Bottle-Closure, of which the following is a full, clear, and eXact description.

This invention relates to a class of bottles that are provided with means for preventing the refilling of the bottle after its original contents have been removed, and has for its object to provide novel details of construction for a bottle of the character indicated which are very simple and adapted for effectively sealing the bottle from receiving liquid, but that permit the free removal of the liquid contents as occasion may require.

ri`he invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described, and indicated in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of' this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the iigures.

Figure 1 is a sectional side view of the neck and upper portion of a bottle and of the improvement therein adjusted for preventing the introduction of liquid into the bottle through the neck, the plane of the section being substantially on t e line 1 l in Fi 5. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view o the improved closing device for the neck of a bottle, showing it in inverted position, the section being at an angle to that defined in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the closing device and of a bottle-neck wherein said device 1s secured. Fig. 4 is an end view of the closing device seen in direction of the arrow :r in Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the body of the closing device, taken substantially on the line 5 5in Fig. 2.

The shape of the body of the bottle having the improvement is not material, and it may be cylindrical, oval, or angular in contour; but to adapt the neck 6EL of the bottle for the reception and retention of the improved closure it must be given special form, as will now be described. The neck 61L has an inverted-coniform shape, the flaring inner side wall of which must be smooth and true, so aS to permit a liquid-tight engagement of the closure therewith, as will hereinafter be eX- plained. The closure for the bottle-neck oa principally consists of a coniform plug 7, preferably made of glass and fitted liquid-tight into the neck ofthe bottle. To effect a tight joint between the contacting surfaces of the plug and neck, the plug may be ground into the latter, usingA powdered emery or other suitable material lhat will render the contacting surfaces true and smooth. Centrally and nearly through the axis of the plug 7 a cylindrical passage or bore a is formed, which is true on its defining-wall, the bore being reduced in diameter at a near the normally lower end of the plug, thus leaving an annular shoulder a? remain as a bottom wall for the bore c. A coniform walled recess b is formed in the larger end portion of the plug 7 and terminates in a flat bottom, as indicated at b in Figs. l and 2.

In the cup-like recess is fitted liquid-tight a filling-block 7a, preferably formed of glass, said block having a plurality of angularlybent passages c formed therein and a central bore that is divided into two chambers d d by a transverse partition d', which may be formed integral with the block or be secured therein liquid-tight, and it will be seen that the opposite chambers d are in axial alinement with the bore a. The plurality of spaced angular passages c each opens at its ends into respective chambers d, as is indicated in Fig. 2.

In the body of the plug 7 below the bottom of the recess b a plurality of angular passages e are formed, these passages having inverted- V shape similar to that of the passages c open at their ends into the bore a in longitudinal planes. A piston-valve 8, formed of any suitable material, is fitted to slide liquidtight in the bore a and. is mounted upon one end of a piston-rod Sa, which at its opposite end carries afloat 8b. Said floathaving laterally-elongated form may be hollow and open at the ends, as indicated in Fig. i. The length of the piston-rod Sa is so proportioned that the piston 8 will be disposed between the openings at ends of the angular passages e when the iioat Sb is in contact with the smaller `end of the plug 7, as appears in Fig. 2. The corners are removed on the side of the IOO float 8b that contacts with the end of the plug 7, so that liquid may pass from the bottle 6 ast the fioat and into the bore a when the bottle is tipped, so as to permit pouring of liquid therefrom.

In the side of the plug 7 a plurality of lon-A gitudinal recesses g are formed, which are so located that they come between the angular passages e. Opposite the recesses g corresponding recesses g are formed in the inner surface of the neck 6a, and, as shown in Fig. 1, these recesses g g when disposed oppositely in pairs aflord pockets which converge toward their normally lower ends. A ta-` pered lockinge key 9 is provided for each pocket just described, and, as shown in Fig. 1, said keys each rests on the bottom of the pocket it occupies with its narrower lower end, and they are thus adapted to rock outwardly at their normally upper ends. The filling-block 7a is secured in the cupped recess b, preferably by warming the upper end of the plug 7, so as to expand the side wall thereof, which will permit the block to be inserted, whereupon the cooling of the annular wall of the recess b will contract it and firmly secure the block 7a liquid-tight within the recess.

In each of the longitudinal channels or recesses g between the keys 9 and opposite walls of said recesses a resilient or elastic packing-wedge 71J is introduced, as is shown in Fig. 1. These packing-wedges, that may be of sponge or elastic rubber, are put into position when the plug 7 is to be inserted into the neck 6a. The neck 6a is left open until the bottle is filled with liquid that it is to hold as an original package, the liquid filling the bottle-body 6. The bottle is now closed and sealed by inserting the plug 7 down into the neck 6a, care being taken that the recesses g and g are disposed directly opposite each other in pairs. The body of the plug 7 may be coated thinly with a suitable cement or the neck of the bottle may be warmed, so as to slightly expand it, the subsequent cooling of the neck holding the plug in place. The plug when fully inserted will be immovably secured in place by the cooperative action of the keys 9, that will be thrown outward at their upper ends into the recesses g', while their lower ends remain in the recesses g, the elastic wedges h serving to project the upper ends of the keys 9, as stated.

When the contents of the bottle are to be removed partially at intervals or entirely at one time, the act of tilting the body and neck of the bottle will effect a sliding movement of the piston-valve 8, and when it is disposed between the openings of the passages e into the bore a the liquid will traverse these passages and escape into the bore a above the piston-valve. The liquid that has passed into the bore a above the pistonvalve 8 will now by its gravity flow out of the upper chamber d in the filling-block 7a through the angular passages c. It will be seen that when the contents of the bottle are partially or wholly removed therefrom the weight of the piston-valve 8 will cause it to seat upon the annular shoulder a2, and to insure a liquid-tight joint between the valve and shoulder an elastic joint-ring a3 is preferably mounted upon the rod 8a for contact with the valve and shoulder, as shown in Fig. 1. Obviously it will be impossible to introduce liquid into the bottle, as such an attempt will seat the piston-valve and close the passage from the bore a into the bottle.

It will be noted that the acute angular passages c and e will prevent the introduction of a wire or the like into the bore a for lifting the piston-valve 8, so that the bottle is secured against refilling` To prevent the loss of liquid goods and insure the safe transportation of filled bottles hvaing the improved closure, a small cork may be inserted into the upper chamber d, thus closing the upper angular passages c, and over the top of the bottle-neck may be placed a metal-foil cap bearing a suitable label or trade-mark, as is usual for identifying a particular brand of liquor or other liquid goods.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination with the neck of a bottle having a coniform inner surface, of a coniform closing-plug fitting liquid-tight in the neck, and having an axial bore therein formed with an annular shoulder at the lower end, said plug also having an essentially V-shaped lateral passage in its body, the ends thereof intersecting the bore at two points, means for securing the plug in the neck, a piston-valve adapted for seating upon the annular shoulder, a rod extended from the valve, said rod passing through the lower end of the plug, and means carried by the lower end of the rod for limiting the sliding movement of the valve.

2. The combination with the neck of a bottle having a coniform plug fitted li uidtight in the neck and having a cuppe recess in its upper end, a sealing-block secured liquid-tight in said recess, the plug and block having alined bores therein, the bore in the plug having an annular shoulder near its lower end, the bore in the block being divided by a transverse partition-wall, the plug and block each having a plurality of V-shaped lateral passages therein which are spaced apart, the ends of each passage in the plug intersecting the bore therein at two points and those in the block intersecting the bore therein above and below the partition-Wall therein, a piston-valve seating IOO IOS

IIO

upon the annular shoulder, a rod On the piston-block, extended through the lower end of the plug, and means carried by the rod at its lower end, for limiting the sliding movement of the piston-valve.

3. The combination with a bottle-neck having a true cOniOrm inner surface, and also a plurality Oi downwardly-converging recesses formed therein, of a coniform plug iitted liquid-tight in the neck, said plug being adapted for discharging li uid from the bottle, the plug having longitu inal recesses, respectively registering with those in the neck, wedge-shaped keys loosely held in the i registering recesses in the plug and neck, an

l elastic wedge in the bottom of each recess in the plug, adapted for pressing the upper end of a respective wedge into engagement with the neck after it has been inserted into the neck, and means, constructed substantially as described, for preventing the introduction of liquid into the bottle through the bore of the plug.

ln testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEONARD LAWTON. Witnesses:

JAMES B. MOMAHON, CLAYTON W. MORRISON. 

